What has actually been achieved?

Sir, – Alex Bell’s latest Agenda article (October 22) was very enlightening in its current evaluation of the SNP’s increased popularity. He was clearly unimpressed and generally underwhelmed. The first minister’s performance was overhyped and the fundamental weakness in the economics remained unresolved.

The previous week it seemed that the key to political success had been simply identified: “An identity grudge only needs a policy grudge to get motivated.”

Is that really all that Scottish nationalism is about? Has the Scottish electorate been so comprehensively deceived for 13 years?

The petty grievance list is forever being increased to maintain the momentum of the cause, but it is increasingly negative and more and more divisive. Even with a lengthy and extended period of political populist success what has actually been achieved?

The sad answer is practically nothing.

In fact, the complete opposite is the reality. Many of the distinctive Scottish identities that had previously flourished freely within the Union are now in rampant decline.

Where is the Scottish education system today? Even the financial viability of our universities has been undermined. There is a remarkably high cost that comes with harebrained nationalist economic reality.

The competence and effectiveness of the Scottish Government as a whole is quite simply an illusion that does not serve Scotland well.

Even when more powers are transferred the shortcomings in their actual performance mean they are incapable of actually even accepting, let alone delivering.

David Philip, Knockhall Way, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire